CARCAR City’s P600-million loan ordinance for the construction of a city center has been referred to the committee on laws by the Provincial Board (PB).
The committee will decide on whether to treat it as a new ordinance or just amend it, considering the PB already approved it.
The amount is divided into three items: P350 million for a new City Hall building, P160 million for a public market and P90 million for a transport terminal.
But the budget for the public market was raised to P245 million, while the budget for the transport terminal was slashed to P5 million.
PB Member Raul Alcoseba wanted PB Member Grecilda Sanchez, chairperson of the committee on finance and appropriation, to ask city officials about the changes.
Yesterday, Carcar City Mayor Nicepuro Apura, Vice Mayor Patrick Barcenas and some councilors attended the PB session to shed light on the matter.
Alcoseba said Carcar City legislators need to come up with another ordinance, subject it to a public hearing and publication, to include the amendments.
No objections
“The public should know, it should not be a mere amendment but it should be another ordinance,” he said.
But Apura told the PB that the bank and the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) did not object.
“Anytime the amount may be adjusted provided that it remains the same, the (total) amount approved by BLGF,” he said.
Alcoseba, a member of the Liberal Party, is running against Apura for the mayoral seat in May.
PB Member Miguel Magpale called for a recess when the exchange between the two officials became heated.
After the recess, majority floor leader Jude Sybico agreed to refer the matter to PB Member Joven Mondigo Jr., chairperson of the committee on laws.
Sanchez said it will be up to Mondigo to assess if a new ordinance is needed.